Vending machine



March 6, 1962 E. G. ETES vENDlNG MACHINE:

'3 Sheets-Silea?l 1 Filed June 3, 1957 March 6, 1962 E. G. ETES vENDlNG MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1957 March 6, 1962 E. G. ETES 3,023,928

VENDlNG MACHINE Filed June 5, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,923,928 VENDEN@ MACHENE Elmer G. Etes, Rockford, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to The Newsomatic Corporation, Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed .lune 3, 1957, Ser. No. 663,126 18 Claims. (Cl. 221-40) This invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to an improved vending machine for magazines, newspapers and the like.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine for newspapers and the like which is dependable in operation in all conditions of use.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine in which a stack of newspapers or the like may be expeditiously inserted or removed.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine in which the entire dispensing mechanism can be rapidly and easily removed from the protective housing to permit repair or replacement of the dispensing mechanism without necessitating removal of the housing from its mounting.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine in which the dispensing mechanism is mounted on a panel separate from the protective housing so that deformation or mutilation of the housing, as by vandals, will not readily cause damage to the dispensing mechanism, and which panel and dispensing mechanism are readily removable to facilitate reshaping of the houslng.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine including a dispensing mechanism, which vending machine has a improved apparatus for advancing the stack of papers to the vending machine.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an improved dispensing mechanism which is simple and compact in construction so as to occupy a minimum of space in the vending machine housing.

These, together with various ancillary obiects and advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a front elevational View of the vending machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the vending machine;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the vending machine;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the vending machine showing the latter being operated to dispense a newspaper;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the dispensing mechanism;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the vending machine showing the dispensing mechanism and the mechanism for advancing a stack of newspapers toward the dispensing mechanism removed from the housing;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through the dispensing mechanism, taken on the plane 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through the dispensing mechanism, taken on the plane 8 8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through the dispensing mechanism, taken on the plane 9 9 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through the dispensing mechanism, taken on the plane 10--10 of FIG. 5.

The dispensing mechanism of the present invention is intended for use in dispensing magazines, newspapers and 3,023,928 Patented Mar. 6, 1962` ice the like and for convenience is shown and described herein as a newspaper vending machine, it being understood that the term newspaper as used hereinafter in the specification and claims includes newspapers, magazines, and similar articles.

In general, the vending machine includes a protectivel housing 10, a dispensing mechanism 11 and a mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 12 for advancing a stack of newspapers towards the dispensing mechanism of the vending machine to be dispensed thereby. The vending machine is preferably mounted to support a stack of newspapers and the like in an upright-position and the housing 10 is formed with a bottom wall 15, opposed end walls 16 and 17 and opposed side walls 18 and 19 to thereby form a protective enclosure having an open top. Conveniently, the housing may be mounted so that the side wall 18 forms the real wall of the housing and the side wall 19 forms the front Wall thereof and a cover 21 is hingedly mounted to the upper end of one of the side walls, such as 18, as by the hinge 22, to overlie the open top of the housing and form an enclosure therewith for the stack of newspapers and the dispensing mechanism.

For reasons-set forth more fully hereinafter, the frontv wall 19 is formed with an elongated vertical slot 23 located adjacent one end of the housing, and an enlarged view opening 24 having a protective transparent panel 25 overlying the latter, which View opening permits inspection of a portion of the front page of the newspapers stacked inoifset upwardly extending flange 33 on the upper edge ofV A bottomwall 34 is the front wall of the housing. formed on the lower end of the panel and extendsforwardly into engagement with the front wall 19 ofthe.

housing, which bottom -wall has a depending flange 35;

on the forward end thereof adapted to abut the front wall to maintain the panel in spaced relation thereto.' One or more spacer flanges 36 are secured to the panel to extend forwardly therefrom a distance equal to theE width of the bottom wall 34, which flanges engage the front wall of the housing when the panel is mounted thereon to maintain the panel in spaced relation to the front wall.

The panel 28 is thus hooked at its upper end on the offset flange 33 carried by the front Wall and has provision at the lower end thereof for abutting the front wall to removably retain the panel on the housing in spaced relav tion to the front wall, a suitable opening or openings 29I being provided in the panel, in registry with the View open. The panel 28 is formed with an" elongated vertically extending slot 39 which is laterally: olfset from the center of the panel, v*and a feed finger ,4P is arranged to extend through the slot into engagement ing 24 in the front wall.

with the end newspaper in the stack of newspapers 42.

The feed finger 41 is mounted 4for reciprocation 1ongi tudinally of the slot to dispense the end newspaper from\ the stack, and for this purpose there is provided a --pair of substantially Z-shaped members 43. One leg `43a of each of the Z-shaped members is secured to the panel, asI

`by welding, on opposite sides of the slot 39, and the other legs 4319 thereof extend towards each other and terminate in spaced relation to providev a slot therebetween. rIlhe feed finger 41 is elongated, and may conveniently be formed of a pair of fiat strips secured together to providean elongated flat body portion which terminates at its forward end in a curved nose portion 41a. A newspaper engaging pin 45 is secured to the nose portion, which pin is sharpened so as to readily impale the end newspaper in the stack. A pair of laterally extending followers 46 are formed on the edge of the feed finger spaced from the pin 45, which followers are adapted to engage the cam track formed by t-he legs 431; of the members 43.

As shown in FIGS. and 7, the legs 43b are formed with curved portions 47 which extend upwardly and inwardly toward the panel 28, which curved portions are adapted to engage the followers 46, when the feed linger is moved upwardly, to thereby urge the pin 45 through the slot 39 and into the adjacent end newspaper. As the feed finger is moved upwardly, the followers 46 ride cn the under surface of the legs 431;, which thereby form a first dwell portion of a cam track to maintain the pin extended through the slot. Adjacent the upper ends of the legs 43b, there is provided a bifurcated cam member 48 which extends downwardly and inwardly towards the panel to engage the followers 46 and retract the pin out of the slot 39, when the feed finger reaches the upper limit of its stroke. The cam member 48 is resiliently mounted on a spring biased hinge 49 lwhich yieldably urges the cam member 48 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7, into engagement with the underside of the legs 431:'. The cam member 48 thus deflects inwardly as the feed finger is moved upwardly, to permit the follower 46 to pass between the cani member and the legs 431), and on the return stroke of the feed finger, the cam member guides the feed finger over the outer edge of the legs 43 which outer edge forms a secondv dwell portion of the cam track. During its return stroke, the feed finger is therefore free to shift away from' the newspaper so as to prevent'damaging the same. Y

The legs 4311 are also formed with an arcuate surface 51 which terminates at its upper end in spaced relation to the ends of the curved surfaces 47. The arcuate sur- Iface 51 engages the followers 46 on the feed finger to maintain the pin retracted out of the slot 39, when the feed finger is in its normal position. Oppositely extending lianges S2 are provided on the edge of the body of the feed finger, remote from the followers 46, which flanges prevent dislocation of the feed linger from between the members 43, during the return stroke of the feed finger and rollers 53 are mounted on the end of the lfeed linger remote fro-m the pin, within the channel members to 'guide the lower end of the feed finger `during reciprocation. Tabs 54 are formed on the outwardly projecting end of the feed finger, which tabs are arranged to be operatively connected through a link 55 to the 4operating mechanism for the feed linger.

A flat and compact operating mechanism is provided for reciprocating the feed linger, which operating mecha nism is preferably located at one side of the slot 39 in the panel, The operating mechanism is arranged to effect movement of the feed finger 41 upwardly in a dispensing stroke in response to downward movement of a reciprocable operating handle to thereby facilitate operation of the vending machine. As shown in the drawings, the operating mechanism includes a mounting bracket 56 in the form of a flat plate having an enlarged upper end portion 56a and an integral elongated lower portion 56b (see FIGS. 5 and 9). A plurality of legs 57 and 58 are provided for attaching the bracket 56 to the panel in spaced parallel relation thereto. A pair of guideways 59 and 60 are secured to opposite sides of the 4mounting bracket 56 -to extend parallel to the slot 39 in the panel, which guideways have slides 61 and 62 respectively,'slidably mounted therein. The slide 62 on the underside of the mounting bracket has an arm 63 rigidly secured thereto, which larm has its other end pivotally attached by a pin 64 tothe link 5S, to thereby effect reciprocation of the feed finger in response to reciprocation of the slide 62.

A spring 66 has one end thereof secured to the slide 62 and the other end attached by an arm 67 to the depending flange 35 on the panel 28 to return the slide and feed finger to their lowered position, after each dispensing stroke. The slide 62 is operatively connected, by means of a chain 69, to the slide 61, which chain is entrained intermediate its ends over rollers 71 and is terminally attached by fasteners 72 to the slide 61. As best shown in FIG. 8, the roller supporting pintles 73 are mounted in the sockets 74 formed in the projecting ends of the guides 59 and 60. An operating handle 75 is secured to the slide 61 and extends outwardly through the slot 23 in the front wall of the housing. The feed finger 41 is thus moved upwardly in a-dispensing stroke in response to downward movement of the `operating handle 75, the spring 66 serving to return the slide 62 and the feed finger to its initial position and also to raise the operating handle 7S. A stop 76 (FIG. 5) is attached to the panel and is disposed in the path of movement of the arm 63 to limit upward movement of the feed finger during the dispensing stroke.

The operating mechanism is preferably coin controlled, a suitable coin controlled apparatus being shown in FIG. 5. As shown therein, the coin control mechanism includes a coin slot 77 mounted on the top wall 31 of the panel and a coin chute 78 attached to the mounting bracket 56. The coin chute communicates with the slot and has a laterally facing opening 79. A plate 81 is secured, as by welding, to the slide 61 (see FIG. l0) and an auxiliary plate 82 is secured to the underside of the plate 81, at one side of the slide, to form a coin receiving channel 83 having a transversely extending end wall Si). The channel S3 registers with the opening 79 in the coin chute to receive a coin therefrom and the end wall 81') is arranged to engage the coin to move the latter downwardly as the slide 61 is moved down. Laterally extending ears 84 and S5 are formed on the plates 31 and 82, which ears are adapted to engage a pivotally mounted stop member S6. As best shown in FIG. 5, the stop member is pivoted on a pin S7 to the mounting bracket and is yieldably urged into the path of movement of the ears 84 by a spring 88, an adjustable bolt 89' being provided for limitd ing movement of the stop 36. The depth of the coin receiving channel 83 and the length of the ears 84 and 85 is made such that when a coin of the proper denomination is disposed in the channel, the coin will engage the end of the stop S6 and cam operate the same out of the path of the ears 84 to thereby permit reciprocation of the slide 6i. A stop 9d, preferably formed of a block of resilient material such as rubber, is mounted on the panel 2S and disposed in the path of movement of the slide 61 to limit upward movement thereof and thereby stop the feed linger in a preselected lower position.

In order to prevent reciprocation of the slide 61 intermediate its limits of' movement, there is provided a ratchet mechanism which is arranged to prevent upward movement of the slide 61 once it has begun its downward dispensing stroke, until after the latter has been moved to its lower limit of movement, and also to prevent downward movement of the slide, after the latter has begun its upward return stroke and until it has reached its normal upper position. Conveniently, one edge of the mounting bracket 56 may be serrated to provide ratchet teeth 92. A ratchet dog 93 is pivoted on the plate 81 and is yieldably urged by a spring 94 to a position in which the dog engages the ratchet teeth 92. On the downward stroke of the slide 61, the dog ratchets over the teeth 92 and, being inclined in a direction away from the teeth, as shown in FIG. 5, prevents upward movement of the slide as long as the dog engages the ratchet. When the slide reaches its lower limit of travel, the dog passes beyond the end of the ratchet teeth 92 and on the suc-y ceeding upward structure of the slide, the dog pivots. around the pivot 93 to a position in which the dog engages the teeth at a point below the pivot pin 93. Con-` sequently, the slide cannot be moved downwardly after the upward stroke of the slide has been initiated and until the dog passes beyond the upper end of the ratchet teeth 92. The dog thus permits the slide to be moved downward in a dispensing stroke and then upward in the return stroke, and precludes reciprocation of the slide intermediate its limits of travel to thereby prevent dispensing more than one article for each coin inserted in the coin control apparatus.

Provision is made for preventing a coin, which is inserted in the coin slot when the slide 61 is not in its uppermost position, from passing out of the coin chute 78. For this purpose, a coin stop member 96 is pivotally mounted at 97 on the mounting bracket 56a, which stop member has a linger 96a arranged to extend through an opening 9S in the coin chute and into the path of travel of the coins therein. A leaf spring 99 is provided for urging the linger 96a into the opening 98, and a cam arm 100 is connected to the stop member and disposed in the path of movement of the plate 81 on the slide 61 to cam operate the stop linger 96a out of the opening whenever the slide 61 is in its raised position. Therefore, if the slide 61 is not returned to its raised position and a coin is inserted when the slide is out of its raised position, the coin will not drop out of the coin chute. Instead, the linger 96a will retain the coin in the chute until the slide is returned to its raised position at which time the cam arm 100 engages the plate 81 and releases the coin to permit a subsequent dispensing operation.

An improved apparatus is provided for supporting a stack of newspapers such as 42 in an upright position and for advancing the stack towards the dispensing mechanism mounted on the panel 28. For this purpose there is provided a tray 101 having a plurality of opposed pairs of L-shaped members 102 secured to the underside thereof to support the tray in spaced relation to the bottom of the housing. The members 102 project beyond the edges of the tray and have rollers 103 journaled therebetween. Chains or flexiblebelts 104 are entrained about the rollers and have one run thereof overlying the tray to thereby form a eonveyer type support for the stack of newspapers disposed thereon. This construction minimizes the frictional resistance to the advance of the stack of papers and permits the use of a relatively small pressure to urge the stack of newspapers towards the panel 2S. A presser plate 106 is removably disposed in the housing and has a forwardly extending ange 107 on the lower end thereof, which flange terminates in a downwardly and forwardly extending lip 108 which is adapted to engage the links of the chains 104 to advance the latter as the pressure plate is urged towards the panel. Preferably, the presser plate is provided with a forwardly offset portion 109 which extends along the upper portion of the panel, which olfset portion engages the stack of newspapers and provides a relieved area therebelow be tween the stack of newspapers and the presser plate. Inl this manner, only the upper portion of the stack of newspapers 42 is compressed between the presser plate and the panel 2S to thereby minimize the frictional resistance to the withdrawal of the end paper on the stack. As is apparent from FIG. 7, the forwardly offset portion 109 of the presser plate is spaced above the flange 107 at the lower end thereof a distance greater than the stroke of the feed linger, after the latter engages the newspaper, so that the relatively bulkier folded edge of the newspaper does not come between the offset portion 109 and the panel as the feed linger 41 is raised to move the upper edge of the newspaper out of the housing. Consequently, the force which must be applied to the operating handle 75 to dispense the newspaper, is minimized. A slot 110 (FIG. 6) is provided in the presser plate, in registry With the slot 39 in the panel, to permit the feed linger pin 45 to extend thereinto when the presser plate is contiguous with the panel.

The cover 21 which is hinged to the rear wa-ll 18 of the housing has an upwardly and forwardly curved surface 111 formed on the under surface thereof which curved surface is adapted to overlie the curved top wall 31 of the panel to provide a news-paper dispensing chute therebetween. As is apparent, the cover overlies the top of the stack of newspapers and the newspaper dispensing opening extends to one side of the housing whereby the cover is elfective to prevent the entrance of rain and the like into the housing through the newspaper dispensing opening. Conveniently, a channel shaped member 112 may be secured to the curved top wall 31 of the panell and arranged to extend partially across the discharge opening between the top wall 31 and the cover 21 to prevent someone from extending a hand through the dispensing opening and withdrawing a paper from the machine without operating the dispensing mechanism.

In order to facilitate insertion and removal of the stack of newspapers from the housing, the mechanism for applying pressure to the plate 106 is arranged to release the pressure on the plate, when the cover is open, and to apply pressure to the plate when the cover is closed. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pressure applying `apparatus includes an elongated bar 113 having transversely extending arms 114 pivoted in brackets 115 at the bottom of the housing. Levers 116 are secured, as by welding, to the arms 114 to project forwardly thereof and a pair of rods 117 are provided to loosely extend through openings in the levers at a point spaced from the arms 114. The upper end of the rods 117 are pivoted on brackets 113 carried by the cover 21 and the lower ends of the rods slidably extend through the levers 116, a sto-p 119 (FIG. 7) being provided on the lower ends of the rods to engage the levers 116 and move the presser bar 113 away from the presser plate when the cover is opened. A spring 121 is disposed about each of the rods, between the levers 116 and a stop 122, to apply pressure to the levers and urge the presser bar 113 against the presser plate, when the cover is closed. Thus, whenever the cover is opened, the presser bar 113 is moved out ofy engagement with the plate 106 whereby the later may be readily moved -away from the panel 39, as by lifting the latter and resetting it on the conveyer at the rear of the housing, or by sliding the latter therealong. a simple matter to insert the stack of newspapers through the open top, between the presser plate and the panel 28,-

after which the cover is closed. The springs 121 are then effective to urge the presser plate towards the panel to advance the stack of newspapers towards the feed mechanism. 1

The tray 101 is ladvantageously arranged to cooperate with the panel 2S to retain the latter in position. shown in FIG. 7, the forward ends of the members 102 on the tray engage the depending llange 35 on the panel. The length of the members 102 is made such that the rear ends thereof abut the rear wall of the housing when the forward ends engage the llange 35 to thereby releasably retain the lower end of the panel in position against the front wall 19 of the housing. One corner of the panel is cut away, as shown at 124 in FIG. 6 to receive a coin box 125 which rests on the bottom wall 15 of the housing forwardly of the tray 101 to receive the coins dropped from the channel 83 in the coin control mechamsm.

The cover 21 is arranged to be :locked in its closed position and for this purpose there is provided a bar 128 which extends longitudinally of the cover and is journaled in brackets 129 thereon, which bar may conveniently have a handle portion 131 formed intermediate the ends thereof. Transversely extending arms 132 are formed on the ends of the bar 128 which arms are adapted to be engaged in keepers 133 carried by the end walls 16 and 17 of the housing. Laterally extending fingers 134 are provided on the ends of the arms 132 to prevent opening of-y the cover, A latch plate 135 is secured to one of the arms 132 and a hasp 136 is pivoted to the end wall of It is then;

As best 41 upwardly in a dispensing stroke.

the housing and has' a bail 137 adapted to engage the hook 135a on the latch plate to prevent movement of the arms 132 to their release positions. A suitable lock 139 is provided for the hasp to lock the `arms 132 in the keepers 133.

From the foregoing it is thought that the operation of the vending machine will be readily understood. When inserting the stack of newspapers, the cover 21 is opened thereby releasing the presser bar 113. The plate 106 may then be moved reanwardly in the housing and the stack of newspapers 42 inserted between the plate and the panel preferably with the folded edge of the newspaper resting on the chains 104 land on the forwardly extending flange 107 on the plate 106. When the cover is closed, the spring 121 is elective to urge the presser bar 113 against the plate to `thereby yieldably urge the stack of newspapers towards the panel 23. As the plate 166 advances toward the panel, it moves the chains 194 to thereby carry the stack of newspaper therewith.

The dispensing mechanism is operated by first inserting a coin in the coin slot 77 from which it is conveyed by the chute '78 to the coin receiving channel 83 carried by the slide 61. The coin rests -in the channel on the edge of the pivoted stop 86 so ythat when the operating lever 75 is moved downwardly in a dispensing stroke, the coin cams the stop 86 out of the path of travel of the ears S4. Obviously, in the absence of a coin. the ears S4 will engage the stop and prevent operation of the s-lide. As the operating lever 75 is moved downwardly, the chain 69 raises the slide 62 which thereby moves the feed finger As the ears or followers `46 on the feed finger engage the curved surfaces 47 on the cam track formed by the legs 4311, the feed finger is extended outwardly through the slot 39 in the panel to impaie the end newspaper on the stack and urge the latter upwardly off of the end of the stack and through the dispensing opening formed between the curved top wall on the panel and the cover. The feed finger is laterally offset from the center of the stack of papers so that when it engages the same it raises one end of the newspaper to separate the latter from the stack with a fanning motion, the paper tending to swing about an axis normal to the stack of papers. This fanning movement between the end paper `and the remainder of the stack has lbeen found lto greatly facilitate separation of the end paper from the stack so that more than one paper is not dispensed during each dispensing operation `and further reduces the effort which must be exerted to operate the dispensing mechanism and move the paper through the dispensing opening. The stroke of the feed finger is made such as to move one corner of the newspaper outwardly through lthe chute while the remainder of the newspaper remains interposed between the stack of newspapers and the panel. The partially dispensed newspaper can then be manually withdrawn by pulling on the outwardly extending end thereof.

As the feed finger reaches the upper end of its stroke it engages the resiliently mounted cam member 48 which moves the feed linger out of engagement with the newspaper. On the return stroke of the feed finger, the ears 46 thereon overlie the legs 43h so that the pin 45 does not engage the newspaper and damage the same. As is apparent, the spring 66 which engages the slide 62 is effective to return the slides 61 and 62 and the feed finger 41 to their initial position. The ratchet mechanism is arranged so that when the slide 61 has begun movement downward in a dispensing stroke, the latter cannot be again raised until after the completion of its downward movement at which time the dog passes beyond the end of the ratchet teeth. Similarly, during the subsequent upward movement of the slide 61, the dog 93 also prevents retrograde movement so that reciprocation of the slide, intermediate its limits of movement, is prevented. This precludes operating the dispensing mechanism to obtain more than one paper for each coin inserted. As

the papers are dispensed from the ends of the stack, the presser plate 106 is advanced towards the panel and operates the chains 104 to advance the stack of newspapers. After the last newspaper has been dispensed, the presser plate overlies the view openings in the panel and in the front wall of the housing. Suitable indicia may be provided on the front face of the presser plate to indicate that the vending machine is empty.

If it is necessary to remove the dispensing mechanism to repair or replace the same, or to repair the housing, it is only necessary to remove the plate 106 and the newspaper supporting tray 104 at the bottom of the housing. After the tray has been removed, the panel 28 together with all the dispensing mechanism which is mounted thereon may be removed from the housing by merely lifting the panel through the open top. The dispensing mechanism is arranged on the panel in open View so that it may be readily serviced, or if it is necessary to replace the same, a new panel may be inserted into the housing without necessitating detachment of the housing from its mounting.

I claim:

l. A newspaper vending machine comprising a housing having a bottom wall, upstanding front and rear walls, opposed end walls and an open top, a cover mounted on said housing and spaced above the upper edge of said front wall toV define a dispensing opening therebetween, a panel disposed in said housing and spaced from said front wall to define a chamber therebetween, a dispensing mechanism comprising a pair of vertical guides mounted on said panel and disposed in back-to-back relation, pulleys mounted at opposite ends of` said guides, front and rear slides mounted on said guides, flexible belt means entrained over said pulleys and operatively connecting said front and rear slides, an actuator connected to said front slide for reciprocating the same to thereby move the rear slide simultaneously iu a relatively opposite direction, said front wall having a vertical slot therein for receiving said actuator, said panel having a vertical slot therein, and a dispenser linger attached to said rear slide and movable through said slot in said panel to move a paper at the other side thereof through said dispensing opening.

2. A newspaper vending machine comprising a housing having a bottom wall, opstanding front and rear walls, opposed end walls and an open top, a cover mounton said housing and spaced above the upper edge of said front wall to define a dispensing opening therebetween, a panel disposed in said housing and spaced from said front wall to define a chamber therebetween, a dispensing mechanism comprising a pair of vertical guides mounted on said panel and disposed in back-to-back relation, rollers mounted at opposite ends of said guides, front and rear slides mounted on said guides, flexible belt means entrained over said pulleys and operatively connecting said front and rear slides, an actuator connected to said front slide for reciprocating the same to thereby move the rear slide simultaneously in a relatively opposite direction, said front wall having a vertical slot therein for receiving said actuator, said panel having a vertical slot therein laterally offset to one side of the center thereof, said guides being mounted on said panel alongside the slot therein, and a dispenser comprising a single dispenser linger mounted on said rear slide and movable through said slot in said panel to engage an end paper in a stack of papers at a point offset from the center thereof and move a corner of the end paper upwardly through said dispensing opening in a fanning motion.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said panel has an enlarged view opening therein spaced from said vertical slot in said front wall, said front wall having a view opening registering with the opening in said panel to enable visual inspection of a portion of the paper abutting the rear side of said panel.

4. A newspaper vending machine comprising a housing having a bottom wall, opposed side and end walls and an open top, a cover hingedly mounted on said housing and movable between an open position and a closed position overlying the top of the housing, a dispensing mechanism in said housing adjacent one of said side walls, a presser plate movable crosswise of said housing for advancing a stack of papers to the dispensing mechanism, an arm pivotally mounted at one end on said housing and having means on the other end adapted to engage said plate, a lever on said arm intermediate the ends thereof, a link having a lost motion connection at one end to said lever and pivotally attached at the other end to said cover, spring means on said link engageable with said lever to yieldably urge said means on said arm against said plate when said cover is closed, and stop means on said link for retracting said lever and arm when said cover is raised.

5. A vending machine comprising a housing having an elongated dispensing opening therein, means for supporting a stack of papers in said housing with one edge paralleling the dispensing opening, a dispensing mechanism for moving an end paper crosswise of the stack and with a twisting motion to separate the end paperfrom the remainder of the stack to thereby dispense papers one at a time, said dispensing mechanism comprising a single sharp feed finger mounted for movement along a path toward and away from said dispensing opening and laterally offset to one side of the center of said opening, means for moving said finger along said path toward and away from said opening, means operative when the finger is moved toward said opening for moving the finger into engagement with the end paper to impale the same at a point laterally offset from the center of the paper, said finger moving means being operative to thereafter advance said finger toward said opening to thereby move the end paper relative to the stack with a fanning motion and project one corner of the paper through said dispensing opening.

6. A vending machine for newspapers, magazines and the like comprising a housing having a bottom wall, front and rear walls, opposed end walls and an open top, a cover mounted on said housing and spaced 'above the upper edge of said front wall to define a dispensing opening therebetween, a panel separate from said housing receivable between said end walls thereof for movement into and out of the housing through the open top, a dispensing mechanism mounted on said panel for ready removal as a unit therewith, said dispensing mechanism including a vertically movable dispensing finger mounted on said panel at lthe front side thereof and operative to move a paper at the rear side of the panel upwardly through the dispensing opening, a manually operable actuator for said dispensing mechanism mounted solely on said panel extending transverse to the front side thereof, said front wall having an opening therein, said panel being movable in said housing toward and away from said front wall to permit said actuator to be inserted and withdrawn from said opening in said front wall, said panel having a lateral portion on the top thereof engageable with the upper edge of the front wall to retain the upper portion of the panel against lateral movement in said housing, said panel havinu a downwardly extending flange along the bottom thereof offset from the plane of the panel and engageable with said front wall, a newspaper supporting tray adapted to rest on said bottom wall of said housing and engageable with said flange on said panel and said rear wall of said housing to prevent movement of the lower portion of the panel away from said front wall, pulleys mounted on said tray adjacent to front `and rear edges thereof, the pulleys at the front of said tray being located forwardly of said panel, and a plurality of endless belts extending crosswise of said tray and entrained over the pulleys at the front and rear edges thereof for supporting the edge of an upright stack of newspapers thereon.

7. The combination of claim 6 including a pressure plate in said housing engageable with the stack of newspapers therein, pressure applying means engageable with said pressure plate for urging 4the same toward said panel to advance the stack of newspapers to said dispensing mechanism, said pressure plate resting on said belts whereby said pressure applying means is also operative to move said belts and advance the lower edges of the newspapers resting thereon.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said pressure plate has a forwardly extending flange on the lower end thereof adapted to support the edge of several of the newspapers in the stack whereby the weight of the papers 'aids in retaining the pressure plate in an upright position, said plate being movable into closely spaced adjacency to said panel with the flange on the plate underlying said panel and extending forwardly thereof.

9. A Vending machine for newspapers, magazines and the like comprising, a housing having an elongated dispensing opening therein, a panel in said housing adjacent said dispensing opening, means for supporting a stack of papers in said housing with one edge paralleling said dispensing opening, means for supporting and advancing a stack of papers to said panel with the face of the end paper in the stack engaging the panel, said panel having an elongated slot therein extending transverse to said dispensing opening and laterally offset a substantial distance to one side of the center of said stack, a dispensing mechanism for moving the end paper in the stack crosswise of the stack with a twisting motion to separate the end paper from the paper adjacent thereto, said dispensing mechanism comprising a single feed finger mounted for reciprocatory movement longitudinally of said slot, means for moving said feed nger toward and away from said dispensing opening, means operative when the finger is moved toward said dispensing opening for extending the finger through the slot in the panel to irnpale the end paper in the stack, the path of movement of said finger being laterally offset a substantial distance from the center of the stack to effect movement of the end paper relative to the stack in a fanning motion and to project a corner of the end paper through the dispensing opening.

l0. The combination of claim 9 wherein said stack advancing means includes a pressure applying plate movable toward and away from said panel and engageable withthe face of the paper `at the end of the stack opposite the end which abuts said panel, said pressure applying plate having a non-planar face including a first portion arranged to engage and apply pressure to the rear face of the stack along an area adjacent said dispensing opening and a second portion offset from the first -portion in a direction away from the stack to provide a pressure relieved zone `at the rear face of said stack remote from said dispensing opening.

l1. The combination of claim 10 wherein the width of said second offset portion of said plate measured in the direction of reciprocation of said feed finger is greater than the stroke of said feed finger whereby the bulky portion of the paper is not drawn between the `rst portion of the plate and the panel during the dispensing stroke of the feed finger.

12. A vending machine for newspapers, magazines and the like comprising a housing having a bottom wall, front and rear walls, spaced end walls, and an elongated dispensing opening at the top thereof, an upright panel in said housing, means for supporting and advancing a stack of papers to said panel with the face of the end paper in the stack engaging the panel, said panel having an elongated sllot therein extending transverse to said dispensing opening and horizontally offset a substantial distance to one side of the center of the stack, a dispensing mechanism for moving the end paper crosswise of the stack with a twisting motion to separate the end paper from the paper adjacent thereto, said dispensing mechanism comprising a single feed finger mounted for vertical reciprocation longitudinally of said slot, means for moving said feed finger toward and away from said dispensing opening, means operative when the finger is moved toward said dispensing opening for extending the finger toward the stack through the slot in the panel to impale the end paper thereon at a point horizontally offset from the center of the stack, the path of reciprocatory movement of said finger being horizontally offset from the center of said stack a substantial distance to effect movement of the end paper relative to the stack with a fanning motion and to project one corner of the end paper through the dispensing opening.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said stack advancing means includes a pressure plate movable toward and away from said panel and engageable with the rear face of the stack, said plate having an upper portion arranged to engage and apply pressure to the rear face of the stack and a lower portion offset in a direction away from the stack to provide a pressure relieved zone adjacent the lower portion of the stack.

14. A vending machine for newspapers, magazines and the like comprising a housing defining an enclosure and having an elongated dispensing opening therein, a panel disposed insaid housing having an elongated slot therein extending transverse to said dispensing opening, means in said housing for advancing a stack of papers toward said panel to press the face of the end paper in the stack against one side of said panel, a dispensing mechanism in said housing at the other side of said panel, said dispensing mechanism including a slide track extending parallel to. said slot, a slide mounted on said slide track for movement toward and away from said dispensing opening, a feed finger mounted on said slide for movement therewith longitudinally of the slot and for limited movement relative to the slide in a direction towardv and away from said panel, said feed finger having a paper impaling pin thereon adapted to extend through the slot, a cam track attachedl to said panel alongside the slot, a cam follower on said feed finger engageable with said cam track, said cam track including a first generally straight dwell portion facing toward said panel and extending substantially parallel thereto and spaced from said one side of the panel a preselected distance, said feed pin having a length sufficient to project a preselected distance through the slot in the panel when said follower engages said first dwell portion to positively force the pin through the slot and into a paper with a controlled depth of penetration as the follower moves along said first dwell portion, said cam track including a second dwell portion facing away from said panel and extending lengthwise of said first dwell portion, said cam track including means defining a cam face inclined toward said first dwell portion and extending from said second dwell portion to one end of said first dwell portion for guiding the cam follower from the second dwell portion to said first dwell portion when the feed finger is moved toward said dispensing opening, means at the other end of said first dwell portion engageable with said cam follower for moving the cam follower and feed finger in a direction away from the panel and into the second dwell portion, and means attached to said slide for moving said slide along the slide track.

l5. The combination of claim 14 wherein said feed linger is elongated and has one end thereof pivotally mounted on said slide for swinging movement in a plane extending perpendicular to panel and longitudinally of said slot.

16. The combination of claim 14 wherein said means for moving said feed finger away from said panel includes a cam plate swingably mounted on said panel at a point spaced from one end of said second dwell portion, and means yieldably urging said cam plate against said first dwell portion, said cam plate having a portion inclined in a direction toward said panel and away from said first dwell portion and engageable with said follower on the feed finger for moving the feed finger away from the panel.

17. The combination of claim 14 wherein said means for moving the slide includes a second slide track mounted in back-to-back relation to said first mentioned slide track, an actuator slidably mounted in said second slide track, a pulley adjacent each end of said second slide track, and fiexible belt means entrained over said pulley and operatively connecting said actuator to said slide to effect movement of the slide in response to movement of the actuator and in a relatively opposite direction.

18. The combination of claim 14 wherein said dispensing mechanism has only a single feed pin and said slot in said panel is positioned relatively closer to one end of said dispensing opening than tothe other end of said opening whereby the pin, when it projects through the slot, engages the end paper at a point laterally offset from the center of the paper to move the end paper relative to the stack with a farming motion and to project one corner of the paper through the dispensing opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 918,882 Mills Apr. 20, 1909 1,263,033 Campbell Apr. 16, 1918 1,440,101 Pfund et al. Dec. 26, 1922 1,553,510 Craft Sept. 1S, 1925 1,638,413 Schultz Aug. 9, 1927 1,659,167 Schultz Feb. 14, 1928 1,677,939 Vinogradov July 24, 1928 1,708,234 Nelson Apr. 9, 1929 2,069,264 Morris Feb. 2, 1937 2,119,548 Laughery lune 7, 1938 2,153,278 Shelley Apr. 4, 1939 2,428,231 Leschin Sept. 30, 1947 2,881,948 Chaplin Apr. 14, 1959 

